Gardening, Self-Sufficiency, Natural Yeast, Writing -- all the things I'm passionate about!
Copyright 2013 Caleb Warnock. This blog content and images are not in the public domain and may not be used anywhere without the express written permission of the author.

Winter Garden Prep 2012

[pictured: baby winter lettuces -- my fastest growing variety. There is also a new variety of multiplier onion interplanted here, which I am testing.]A lot of you have been asking how my winter garden prep is going, so I thought I’d share a few pictures. [two large cold frames. The one on the left is protecting peas and multiplier onions. The one on the right is protection lentils and baby cabbages.]Winter garden preparation is pretty simple -- plant the winter seeds, and cover the mature plants that I want to last through the winter. My vegetable-by-vegetable guide to winter gardening (the first ever published in the U.S. to my knowledge) is coming out in April, and goes to press in the first week of November.[pictured: This glass door was on our house for many years, but a few weeks ago we replaced it. I’m just setting it on top of baby lettuces in the raised bed.] I should also note that two nights ago we had our first hard freeze of winter -- it got down to 24 degrees. Just the first of many. We’ve also had about six more minor freezes (28-32 degrees). I have ten cold frames out right now.[pictured: The glass house cold frame is protecting baby cabbages and baby cantaloupes. The other two are protecting winter lettuces.] Here is what I have planted from seed in the last few days and weeks:- multiplier onions (have not been in a cold frame yet).- about ten varieties of winter lettuce (some proven, some as tests; some are in cold frames, others are not just because I’ve run out of cold frames.)- a new Chinese kale (doing excellently so far; it has been in a cold frame).- leeks (just sprouted, not in a cold frame yet).- a very rare winter onion (seeds just sprouted outside today, Oct. 8; not in a cold frame yet)- winter peas (in a cold frame)- Swiss chard (growing like weeds, about 1.5 inches tall; not in a cold frame yet)- baby cabbages, up to six inches tall, both in and out of cold frames and all doing well.- baby carrots, thriving and not in a cold frame.- my largest-ever planting of winter wheat (up and doing nicely; not in a frame and never will be)- winter cantaloupe (doing great so far, but it is just in a cold frame and needs desperately to be transplanted to a hot bed. I have four baby plants, and two leaves on one of them froze the night it was 24 degrees). - I also have fall bush beans in a cold frame. They are just going into flower and are doing excellently. - Here is a list of the mature vegetables still in the garden: beets, turnips, Swiss chard, collard greens, lentils, rutabaga, brussels sprouts, longkeeper corn, carrots, cabbages, and herbs also in the garden, all without any protection and doing very well. [pictured: frost-killed Italian zucchini]So far it’s looking like another happy winter of fresh garden eating :) -Caleb

1 comment:

Just a quick question about your cold frames: do you need a pretty nice fit between the cold frame and the garden bed,or are some gaps ok during the winter? I built a raised bed on some rocks and gravel using cinder blocks, which makes for an uneven bed and some glaring gaps between frame and bed. Wondering if I need to fix that and how.... Thanks! Loved your classes an couple months ago!